[Wildwood Music] Finding A Map [Tessa Poe]

[Seven Xu]

If Tessa had moving gears in her head like that of a clock, Seven swore he’d be able to see them churning if he narrowed his eyes and leered long enough. He’d immediately regretted mentioning the unfortunate truth behind his heritage as the air grew stale and a beautiful face flickered, just for a fraction of a second, with that familiar look of confused disgust. Seven thought to apologize, or pray for time to reverse but for one chime to rethink his words. A set of white fingers drifted to his mouth, suddenly very conscious of the pair of predatory white points that lay beneath unassuming pink lips. The other hand continued to work on the map, haphazardly drawing several squares that would represent the open warehouse district, the last sprawling of freestanding buildings before a looming citadel wall gave way to the open Suvan and stretches of docks and all manner of seafaring craft and man.

“I’ve been halted, here and there,” Seven exhaled, more than happy to finally break the growing silence between them, “the Dyer’s District; it’s a training ground for squires and knights, they probably don’t want civilians wandering about and getting in their way. It’s a shame, really, the first and second tiers look beautiful from outside—what with their old architecture, and large windows.”

Content with his work on the map—not an exact duplicate of the one he’d meticulously drawn out a season before and handed off to a friend—but similar in its coherence, he held it at an arm’s length in front of Tessa while the smile snaked back across his lips. “Your company has been payment enough.” It was his best attempt to encourage the genial tone that had been all but drawn out of the room moments before. Some may have misconstrued the embellished friendliness as flirting; a mistake Seven had made and not learned from in the past.

The map itself showed little of the smaller districts that were upscale housing; merely outlines on a page marking the main thoroughfare. The gates had been marked well, as well as points of interest such as the Bazaar, Soothing Waters, taverns, and various smaller shops scribbled out in tiny script. Blazing rose seemed to laugh as they pierced the ocean-blue of Tessa’s softening gaze. “Is it enough, or should I make it more detailed?”

[Tessa Poe]

Tessa reached out hesitantly, her fingertip pressing against the parchment gently so as not to tear it as she started to trace the route from Sina's shop to the main gates, and then from there to the bazaar, all the while grinning about as widely as she possibly could, laughing softly and mostly to herself in delight. It was... amazing, simply amazing to see the city all laid out like this. Seven's clear quill strokes seemed to make sense of this maze of a place for her as she tried to picture places she'd visited in the city, to match them to the parchment sheet in front of her. Just looking at it, knowing that she need never lose her way again with this made her feel much more at ease.

Her eyes flicked up from the map just in time to meet his, their rosey shade so different to just about anything she'd ever seen before. That silly grin of hers never left her face, her eyes seeming to almost glow with it. She wasn’t sure if it was just that they were so different from what she usually saw, or if they were just pretty, she had the feeling though that it would be so very easy to get lost in them. "Oh no, that'll be fine, more than fine, I... I can't thank you enough for this, it's... sort of scary when you're completely lost, and everyone around you looks so unfriendly, or too busy to help." Her worries of just a chime ago had all but vanished as her eyes fell back to the map, still shining with excitement as her thoughts wondered back over what he’d said, about how her company was payment enough for the map… she’d never really thought of herself as being particularly good company. Still Seven seemed to like having her around, and she’d not planned on doing much else today aside from trying to track down Sina. Maybe he’d not mind if she just waited in the shop with him ‘til she got back? Or would he think she was crazy for asking that?

“Oh, you mentioned the architecture? I’ve never really seen much of it here, unless you count the corridor walls, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed but they’re a bit dull. I honestly don’t know how you stand it actually, all that stone, overhead and all around, doesn’t it get a little… close in here?” Back to safe conversation, the sort of conversation you could have without worrying about coming across as odd, well at first at least. It did sort of get away from her towards the end she had to admit, but in the time she’d spent with him he was probably used to that already… and if not he’d either get used to it quickly or he’d make it clear he wanted her to leave. She hoped it’d be the former, well that, or that she finally manage to control her tongue, just a little bit at least.

[Seven Xu]

Seven took a deep breath, as if trying to fill the capacity of the room’s air in his lungs before exhaling it in a slow, calculated sigh. “It’s suffocating at times,” He admitted beneath a knitted brow, elbows finding his knees, “but in all of it, I have my freedom.” As far as freedoms went, he felt far less oppressed within the walls of Stormhold than he had on the jagged peaks of Lhavit that shot up into the very dome of night.

Seven had a mind to ask her more of her caravan. He had traveled through the Unforgiving with the likes of a merchant caravan; rickety wagons pulled single-file by Okomo over treacherous mountain. They were the only beast that seemed to be able to handle the thin air and steep inclines that such an aptly named mountain range threw at them. The interest was never voiced; that chapter of his life was over, and he was not keen on opening a closed book.

“I can’t say I’ve ever felt so lost it’s made me panic,” Vermillion drifted above a wandering chin towards a nearby window. “My old city was a labyrinth at times, so maybe I got used to finding my way at a young age. Roads only go two ways.” He grinned. The girl seemed intent on sticking around, though no decision had been voiced. The halfblood relaxed into himself, wrists growing limp as white tendrils worked their way down his linen-wrapped kneecaps.

“I hope I’m not keeping you from anything.”

[Tessa Poe]

His freedom... what was Lhavit like if he thought this place gave him that? She tried to imagine somewhere more mazelike and cramped than Syliras... it wasn't a nice thought. Lhavit then was definitely on her list of places never to spend too long in. Maybe a brief visit, just to get a sense of what the city was like… that much at least she wanted to see for herself, but after that? Back out and away under the open skies again. She sort of wanted to ask him about it, about what it was like and all, but she got the feeling he didn’t want to talk about it too much. There was probably a good reason for that, a reason why he’d come all the way to Syliras in the first place and she didn’t want to pry. She gave a little mental shrug, filing her curiosity away as she listened to him. He was right in a way, each road could only go in two directions, the problem was more that she’d end up going down five or six different roads and then there were too many possible directions to go in, and most of them completely wrong by that point.

"Ummm... no, my only real plan for the day was to find Sina and see if she could give me a couple of lessons, only so much you can figure out by yourself and all you know? If I'm bothering you or keeping you from your work just tell me and I'll make myself scarce, you've been more than kind enough to me already." Her smile faded a little with a nervous little twitch at the corners of her lips, wondering if his question was a hint that she was disturbing him... maybe it'd be best to pack the flute away now that it was clean in case that was what he'd meant? That way if she had to leave she could do so quickly and leave him to whatever it was that he did here in the shop. She really hoped she wasn't keeping him from anything important, it'd be awful if he got into trouble on her account, especially given how nice and helpful he'd been.

She started to lay the pieces of her flute back in its case, carefully making sure each one was seated tightly in place so they wouldn't get damaged as she walked. Maybe if she offered to help out, to make up for the time he'd been so generous in giving her? Also, she really should just say things like that out loud rather than just thinking them. It wasn’t like Seven was a mind reader. “Is there any way I could help at all though? I’d not want Sina angry with you for not doing your work because of me.” At least now she could find out if he minded her being around, she still hoped he didn’t. He was nice company in a city full of busy, irritable people and even with her new map in hand she didn’t want to risk the hallways so soon with it. There was only so many times in a day she could take being pushed past or crushed against a wall by the locals who had business to attend to.

[Seven Xu]

Seven straightened at her suggestion, ashy brows knitting together. “No, no! Please, don’t leave.” The unusual tone of desperation that rose in his reply painted his white cheeks a lovely shade of hot embarrassment. She had been the only sentient life he’d seen all day; Victor was often asleep when he left in the morning and he wasn’t one to stop in a corridor to strike up meaningless conversation with a dull-eyed stranger about weather, or the price of apples. “I mean, you aren’t bothering me.”

The Lhavitian watched as Tessa carefully packed her instrument. It hadn’t taken long before the glimmering length of silver disappeared into its murky sanctuary; a few sweeps of well-tanned fingers had seen to that. “I have a lot of sanding to do,” the idle comment accompanied an eager reach for a thick strip of textured paper, “piles of instruments that need to be smooth before they’re painted, and all.”

Pupils wrapped by an incarnadine hue found nervous dual oceans set in Tessa’s face with a smile. “If you want to help, grab something and start rubbing it with this,” he wiggled the thick paper between a pair of fingers, “and thank you; I appreciate it.” In his free hand, Seven leaned to snatch a length of pine that seemed to be little more than a rounded stick, an arm’s length in total and tapered at one end. It was a type of horn; set to be painted with the colors of summer and sold on one of Sina’s outings, no doubt. The paper was wrapped around its girth and Seven’s porcelain-coated hand carefully worked the tiny splinters and imperfections from its surface.

“It’s a bit hot in here,” Seven offered, his gaze falling to the instrument in his lap. “Sorry about that. That window won’t budge,” he nodded in the direction of the dingy window, where sunlight crept in through the film of years of wood dust and grime. “I’ve tried.” Singing laughter filled the humid air between them, and he lifted his forearm to brush back ivory bangs to rid his scalp of a thin layer of sweat that had accumulated at his hairline. Small talk was never something Seven was incredibly good at; he preferred the heartier end of meaningful conversation. It was difficult to find that in Syliras.

“So, you’re a traveler with a bad sense of direction,” a cordial grin softened a blow that may have been too abrasive, in hindsight. “Tell me about where you’ve been.”

[Tessa Poe]

Tessa grinned at his sudden exclamation, his tone of voice all too familiar to her, though she was more used to hearing it rolling beneath her own voice than someone else's. Her eyes followed his hands as he gave her her instructions on what she could do to help, happy that she could stay a little longer and be useful after all. She really hadn't been looking forwards to dealing with the crowded corridors just yet.

Her eyes met his as he spoke, they really were so very pretty... the way they almost seemed to glow in the dim light cast by the little window. She could sort of see how the stories had gotten started now that she'd spent a little time in Seven's company. There was something so very charming and yet slightly alien about him. It seemed though the stories had been quite wrong about the whole bloodsucking monster thing. Which was a good thing really.

"Well that's good... never want to overstay your welcome somewhere you know?" She leant forwards again, watching him as he set to work on what she supposed was going to turn into an instrument at some point. Her eyes followed his delicate fingers as they worked, rubbing away the splinters and scratches in the wood with a level of care that was almost as fascinating to watch as his drawing of the map had been. She hesitated before reaching for a smaller piece of wood, about the same length as her own flute and it didn't come as a particular surprise that this one seemed to be meant for a similar, if less complicated, purpose. Well that's what the holes that'd been carefully drilled into it seemed to suggest at least. She picked up a piece of the thick paper, the dim light from the window sending a stream of winking lights across its surface as she moved it. She had to wonder how they managed to stick the grit to the paper. It had to be some kind of glue, and then she guessed they just dumped sand on it 'til the paper was covered, but wouldn't you end up with too much sand that way? It was a mystery for another time, and she had work to do.

Soon enough she was carefully running the paper over the wooden tube. She had no idea what it was called but it made a pleasant scratching sound as she went along, you could almost turn it into a rhythm if you concentrated enough on it. Which was exactly what she did as she went along, glancing over to the window as Seven commented on the temperature. It was a little warm in here she had to admit, but she wasn't about to roll her sleeves up. Not while she was with someone else at least. “Summer and Winter are the worst times really, you’re either boiling or freezing out in the forest and getting to sleep is a nightmare half the time.” She fell silent again, content with the rhythm of work and the scratching sound of the paper on the wood, trying now to match it to the rhythm of Seven’s, to make a little tune between the two of them. Her Ma had always said that making a game out of work always made it go that little bit faster.

“Guilty as charged,” she smiled to show no offence had been taken at his question, “It’s why I tend to stick with caravans when I go for a long trip, either working or as a passenger. Can’t get lost that way and it’s… a little like home really, but not quite… the sounds are the same and if you don’t look too carefully you can almost pretend you’re back there… sorry, you wanted to hear about somewhere else? Ummm… well we mainly worked around Syliras like I said, but after I set off by myself the first place I ended up was Riverfall… in the winter. Not exactly the best time of year to see the place, it was freezing! And the Akalaks… they tower over you wherever you go, they look kind of scary but they’re actually pretty nice, well apart from the weirdest looks they gave me half the time. Ohhhh and the view from the city across the Suvan was amazing. I saw it my first night there, stretching for miles with Leth’s light sort of glittering in the spray of the waves… soon as I saw that I knew I’d made the right decision, to leave and set out on my own I mean.” The excitement in her voice was clear, her eye’s sparkling with the memory of that night, one she knew would be with her ‘til the day she died.

[Seven Xu]

By this time, Seven had gotten comfortable enough around the brunette to laugh when she mentioned the Akalaks’ friendliness and ‘weirdest looks’. “They’re an all male race, aren’t they?” White digits flicked rough paper across the span of wood until it had gained an approving sweep of his other hand. Smooth. He smiled, and then arrested Tessa’s face again with his eyes. Had he been otherwise unattached, or less fearful of the consequences his blood carried, she would be what one would classify as his ‘type’. Tomboyish, but beautiful; blushing maidens that oozed femininity was never something that had appealed to the halfblood’s tastes, but he did have a small appreciation for modest women. When Seven found himself staring dully at the side of Tessa’s head, he looked away.

It wasn’t as if he was gawking, was he?

The smile returned to sagging lips and he set the half-finished instrument down at his side, leaning forward on his knees. “You’re so free to do what you want to do,” he mused, “Not that I am not; it isn’t like I have some responsibility or allegiance to Syliras that keeps me here. I guess I’m just complacent, is all.” The halfblood clicked his tongue and knotted his ankles together. “Land travel is dangerous and slow,” he mentioned matter-of-factly; he had seen the effects of it first hand, “I crossed the Suvan, once. I think I’d like to do that again. But, it would have to be before winter comes; I’m not one for cold.” He punctuated the statement with a grin.

“I think I’ve overstayed my welcome in Syliras; or rather, it’s grown a little too familiar despite its freedoms,” he admitted, then grinned. “I have to admit that I’ve thought about traveling to Alvadas;” it wasn’t a complete lie, though it had been Victor who had brought the idea up; Seven had blindly followed, “Have you ever been there?”

Another unfinished instrument was lifted into Seven’s lap, this time a curved horn-shape occupied the space between Seven’s small thighs, pressed firmly to the wood as he worked splinters and roughness from its carved edges. He was certainly a diligent worker, but one had to be, with a workshop as cluttered as Sina’s.

[Tessa Poe]

Tessa frowned when Seven mentioned the Akalaks and their lack of women, not entirely sure what he was getting at? Why did it matter if they were all men? It wasn’t like… they… oh… ohhhhhh! Her eyes went wide as the realisation finally hit and her hands froze, bringing the sound of the rasping sandpaper to a halt as they did. Gods she was so stupid! That’s why they’d all seemed so… strange. That’s why they’d all been so… but how would that even work? They were huge! She’d not seen a single one who was under six and half feet… with shoulders like an outhouse! It’d be… surely there’d… her cheeks turned a bright glowing red as her thoughts ran madly along, she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about… was ‘it’ the right word or ‘them’? Either way… it seemed like Riverfall was off her list of places to visit again for a while. “I ermm… that is… I never really thought about it that way…” she finally managed, her face still flushed as she leant back over the flute running her fingers over it. As far as she could tell it was ready to be painted, it seemed smooth and all. At least Seven had changed the subject while she was distracted, his mention of the Suvan Sea during the winter brought her own trip across it back… and it hadn’t exactly been the best journey of her life. At first the storms had been fantastic to watch over the rail, she remembered clinging on tightly, her coat wrapped tightly around herself to keep the chill at bay as the lightning arced across the sky and even stabbed down into the waves in a brilliant flash from time to time, but those waves had brought their own problems with them. She’d spent most of that voyage curled up in her bunk with bouts of dry heaving mixed with forcing some kind of broth down her throat. “I’d steer during winter… it’s not the best time to make the crossing, and they don’t tend to sail too often either, what with the storms and all.” She decided to skip over going into any more detail about her own experience, she didn’t want him to have that particular image of her stuck in his head. “The ship I was on stopped off in Alvadas, but we didn’t stay there long enough for me to have a look round, shame really, it sounds like such an interesting place. They say the city shifts around you the whole time, but that might not be the best thing for me… I’d end up walking round in circles the whole time or something. Still if you’re getting itchy feet you should just follow them, that’s what Ma always said. You’ve got to promise though, if we run into each other again after you’ve been there you’ll have to tell me what it’s like, alright?” She grinned as she turned to look at Seven as he worked, eyes tracing over his pale, delicate features once again quite without meaning to. There was just something about him, something that made her just want to hug him, to hold him close and not let go for… well a while. Not in a… not in a romantic way or anything... just... wait, was she staring? She should probably stop that. She jerked her eyes away, hand reaching for the next instrument in the pile, she had no idea what it was and it really wasn’t important, she just need to do something other than stare at him. The rasping sound of the sandpaper started up again, though this time rather than match his rhythm with hers she simply started humming a little travelling song she’d made up. A bright lively little melody to help speed the miles along that strangely enough actually seemed to work, at least it did for her.

[Seven Xu]

Seven had felt Tessa’s stare burning holes in the side of his head, though when he dared glance up at her, she’d already begun to look away. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, so briefly he could have imagined it. He noted the flourish of pink in the girl’s cheeks; for all she was—a plain, pretty face, tousled hair and old linen—she was endearing. He felt an urge to reach out, to touch the hand that gripped rough sandpaper and feel its warmth, as well as its calluses. Whenever Seven’s red burned in the oceans of Tessa’s blues, heat crept up his neck and stiffened his fingers. His pale brows knitted together, and he tore his eyes away.

“We’ll meet again,” the promise was empty; it wasn’t his to make. Seven let himself laugh at the thought of the poor girl wandering lost in the City of Illusion for days. “Alvadas may not be the best place for you. Then again, it’s not like to be kind to a self-proclaimed cartographer, either.” He let himself trail off beneath the melodic humming, not attempting to join in himself. Once, he caught himself swaying back and forth to the song, wanting to compliment the girl on her talent for bringing song to a dingy, cluttered room.

Hours passed; the sun completed her daily trail across the sky and streaked in Wildwind Music’s dingy glass window with dusk’s dying light. The pair had continued with fragments of conversation between sanding, humming, and exchanged glances. He told her of Lhavit’s beauty and grace; she told him of the winding mud roads and dangers of the Wildlands that lay beyond the walls of Stormhold Citadel. When Sina returned to find the pair side by side on a workbench, wood dust covering their clothing, she merely laughed and relieved Seven of his day’s work.

With the workshop closed and other businesses following suit, Seven lead his new cohort to the streets and waning thoroughfare. They walked until the soles of their boots were raw and the sun had been long replaced by the silvery glow of Leth’s moon dangling among its court of stars in the immense blue-black bowl above. Reluctantly, Seven parted with Tessa one bell before midnight, leaving her with a fragmented map of Syliras and a jagged smile. “If we should meet in Alvadas,” he called, sinking into the blackness of cobblestone and brick, “We’ll get lost together!”

End

[Templar]

Seven: Rhetoric +2 - Observation +2 - Interrogation +2 - Drawing +1 - Cartography +1 - Carving +1 - Seduction +1 Lore: Tables make poor Beds, Basic Instrument Maintenance, Symestran Ancestry is better kept Secret, Syliras Layout (Basic), Character: Tessa (Basic) Tessa: Rhetoric +2- Observation +2 - Interrogation +1 - Seduction +2 - Storytelling +1 - Music Composition +1 Lore: Syliras Corridors and Pathways, Basic Instrument Maintenance, Racial: Symenestra (Basic), Character: Seven (Basic) Items: Basic Map of Syliras Additional remark: If you have any complaints or feel you have been mistreated. Please send me a PM with your complaint and I will address the issue.